The LeaderInternational Leadership Development Institute Blog

Almost done with the 12 daily areas of our lives which will, sooner or later, demand management. As we all know intuitively, it is better to deal with something before it becomes a crisis situation. But, as a doctor, I’ve seen plenty of patients who have walked around with the equivalent of a facial cancer and never done anything about it. What was so obvious to me, and to many others around them, went neglected for so long that it had a significant negative consequence. My hope is that by highlighting these areas, we can all be proactive.

Decision #9: Relationships
Our relationships with family are paramount, but as human beings, we are created by God to need one another. Anyone in isolation is going to eventually develop physical manifestations of the stress of being alone too much. Babies who are not spoken to or held not only never learn to talk, but also never learn how to relate. For these reasons, we MUST nurture healthy relationships daily with the people around us: friends, neighbors, co-workers, and especially family. Clifton and Nelson said, “Relationships help us define who we are and what we can become. Most of us can trace our successes to pivotal relationships.” Relationships bring fulfillment and joy.

Decision #10: Generosity
A church sign near my home now reads: “He who dies with the most toys is still dead.” If we fail to live generous lives, not only can we not take our material wealth with us, but we will leave this life in poverty of spirit. Generosity in the long-run returns more to the giver than to the recipient. Ruth Smeltzer said, “You have not lived a perfect day even though you have earned your money, unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” Generosity brings significance to our lives.

Decision #11: Values
It is amazing to me how many people lack a defining value for their lives: an inner ethic that determines their direction and helps make decisions. An “ethic” is basically a set of beliefs that define your soul and determine your behavior. In recent days we’ve heard a lot about politicians who have not paid their taxes. All behavior reflects our inner ethic, whether we want it to or not. Our leadership also depends entirely on our inner ethic. We lead people according to the compass inside our souls. We don’t need to strive for perfection, but rather for our behavior to consistently reflect our values. Maxwell says, “The gap between knowing and doing is significantly greater than the gap between ignorance and knowledge.”

Decision #12: Growth
The worst thing is the waste of a person’s potential. There’s even an old marketing slogan around this concept: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Think of this decision as applying the managerial concept of “Continuous Improvement” to your life. What are your strengths? Weaknesses? How can you improve in your areas of strength? How can you shore up your weaknesses or surround yourself with people who are strong in the areas you are weak? Now, develop a strategic plan for that growth you have identified – something that you do everyday to grow in an area of your life you have targeted – and a plan for investing in others the strengths that you have. Volunteer, mentor, do something, but don’t just sit there and wait for life to come to you and fulfill your potential. Accomplishing what you were made to become is going to take work, commitment, and a plan. And don’t forget to apply what you learn so head knowledge makes into the practice realm.

While I hope that everyone who reads this is taking what little bits I’ve given out and applied them to their lives, I know that some may want to go deeper. For that reason, there is the link to John Maxwell’s Today Matters book online above. These blogs are the Cliff’s Notes version, or just a taster of that book. I hope you all have enjoyed this. During the rest of February, I am going to switch gears a little and focus on the need to work together and how to do that: Teamwork, in other words. One of the least understood concepts in our individualistic society.

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